Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Defending the Faith: Thinking clearly about archaeology and the Book of Mormon
Deseret News ^ | 09/28/2014 | By Daniel Peterson

Posted on 09/28/2014 3:51:21 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

In student papers, year after year, I’ve seen the same mechanical errors repeated and, year after year, I’ve felt compelled to correct them and to explain why they’re wrong. I’ve devoted entire class periods to subject-verb agreement, the use of apostrophes, consistency in verb tenses and lists, and fundamental logical fallacies. Unfortunately, having to address such simple but important mistakes steals valuable time from the actual topics of my classes on Islam and the Middle East.

So I was delighted, several years ago, to reread William Strunk and E.B. White’s little classic, “The Elements of Style,” and to realize that it covered virtually every recurrent student writing error. I immediately began to recommend it to my classes and, sometimes, even to require it. If they’ll pay close attention to it, I tell them, they’ll avoid most, if not all, of the mistakes that many of them regularly and predictably commit.

I’d love to report that the experiment has been a smashing success, but I can’t. Still, as the saying goes, where there’s life, there’s hope.

I’ve felt much the same way about the fundamental mistakes continually made by many critics of the Book of Mormon. So, to save time, I’ve found myself frequently recommending an article that, if they would read it carefully and learn from it, could spare them (and me) a lot of time and effort:

(Excerpt) Read more at deseretnews.com ...


TOPICS: History; Other Christian; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: archeology; mormon
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-42 next last
Here's the article the author recommends defending Mormon Archeology:

William Hamblin’s “Basic Methodological Problems with the Anti-Mormon Approach to the Geography and Archaeology of the Book of Mormon” (online at publications.maxwellinstitute.byu.edu/fullscreen/?pub=1382&index=11). It is a product of the old Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (known as FARMS) in its heyday, and was published in the “Journal of Book of Mormon Studies” in 1993.
1 posted on 09/28/2014 3:51:21 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind; ConservingFreedom; Unam Sanctam; x_plus_one; Patton@Bastogne; Oldeconomybuyer; ...
+

Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:

Add me / Remove me

Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of general interest.

2 posted on 09/28/2014 3:54:29 PM PDT by narses ( For the Son of man shall come ... and then will he render to every man according to his works.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

Considering their theology their archeology is suspect too.


3 posted on 09/28/2014 3:57:06 PM PDT by SkyDancer (I Was Told Nobody Is Perfect But Yet, Here I Am)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I can’t accept that my Jesus Christ, after preaching love as the central core of his teaching, to die on the cross for our sins, then hopped over to “the Americas” to slaughter entire civilizations, men, women and children over his Easter break before rising from the dead and continuing to teach love.

But then it does help me understand how some Mormons can consider killing someone if they deserve it to still be “christlike”; that gives them a lot of leeway in being christlike to their fellow man.


4 posted on 09/28/2014 4:00:18 PM PDT by freedomlover
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
In “Basic Methodological Problems,” Hamblin argues that many common anti-Mormon criticisms of the Book of Mormon are based upon questionable assumptions about the nature of historical and archaeological evidence, and upon mistakes about what constitutes historical proof.

This is something that the LDS has to say because there is no historical proof for any of their claims, but plenty of evidence against it, which you will never hear from that small insular world of theirs.

The BOM has no many problems that I cannot take these people seriously when they use words like "archaeology" or "historical proof" or any other word that implies some scientific or factual basis for any of their claims.

I imagine it is like how the Scientologists comfort themselves with this idea that their "technology" is a legitimate science.

5 posted on 09/28/2014 4:03:27 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

The author has no expertise in archaeology. He is simply a Mormon apologist.

“A native of southern California, Peterson received a bachelor’s degree in Greek and philosophy from BYU and, after several years of study in Jerusalem and Cairo, earned a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Peterson is currently a professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at BYU, .....He served on the LDS Church’s Gospel Doctrine Committee and was a bishop in the church.”


6 posted on 09/28/2014 4:08:55 PM PDT by Varda
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind
Here is an example of how stupid this idea of "Mormon archaeology" is:

http://www.mormonthink.com/book-of-mormon-problems.htm#cumorah

Supposedly around 2 million people were killed in Hill Cumorah, identified by multiple prophets of the LDS as being in Upstate New York. They have also claimed that there were even ancient records buried in that hill besides the BOM that Smith found.

Today, the LDS claims there is more than one Hill Cumorah, the one where the battles took place (and thus all the archaeological evidence) is somewhere hidden in central America, whereas the one identified by their prophets is just another Hill Cumorah where the BOM was buried a thousand miles away. Why? Because that's Mormon logic.

7 posted on 09/28/2014 4:15:56 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind

I will say this about it: This is by far the most bizarre analogy ever laid down.

It is like saying “because your car runs, there must be pixies.”

Entertaining but of zero logical, historical or theological value.


8 posted on 09/28/2014 4:17:53 PM PDT by freedumb2003 (AGW "Scientific method:" Draw your lines first, then plot your points)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Greetings_Puny_Humans

But...but....don’t you feel “the burning in the bosom”, which moves you to say “I know these things to be true”?

BTW, the joyous season of Merry Smithmas will soon be upon us. Star Kolob will light the way to the manger scene in Nauvoo.


9 posted on 09/28/2014 4:31:07 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("In the modern world, Muslims are living fossils.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: SkyDancer

It’s like trying to reconcile the narrative of The creation of the world with the modern understanding of paleontology, or the great flood with modern insights of the earth’s geography. It only makes sense to the believers.


10 posted on 09/28/2014 4:31:37 PM PDT by Burkean (.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: elcid1970

Maybe Mormons should journey to the center of the Earth to find their answers.


11 posted on 09/28/2014 4:33:37 PM PDT by Jack Hydrazine (Pubbies = national collectivists; Dems = international collectivists; We need a second party!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: SeekAndFind; metmom; CynicalBear; boatbums; Alex Murphy; daniel1212
The Mormon bashers/haters are out in full force tonight! </sarc>
12 posted on 09/28/2014 4:37:51 PM PDT by Gamecock
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jack Hydrazine

The Garden of Eden was located in what is now Missouri, not in the Fertile Crescent as believed for thousands of years.

And Jesus is the brother of Lucifer.


13 posted on 09/28/2014 4:40:05 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("In the modern world, Muslims are living fossils.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

Comment #14 Removed by Moderator

Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: Burkean
In the Religion forum, on a thread titled Defending the Faith: Thinking clearly about archaeology and the Book of Mormon, Burkean wrote: It’s like trying to reconcile the narrative of The creation of the world with the modern understanding of paleontology, or the great flood with modern insights of the earth’s geography. It only makes sense to the believers.

Don't equate the obvious frauds of Joey Smith and Co. with Christianity. Against the Bible, modern flat earthers with their evolutionary theory always fail:

http://www.icr.org/article/8359/

17 posted on 09/28/2014 5:02:04 PM PDT by Greetings_Puny_Humans (I mostly come out at night... mostly.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: elcid1970

Be kind…there are millions who believe in Joseph’s Myth.


18 posted on 09/28/2014 5:09:25 PM PDT by Imnidiot (This space for Rent)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Imnidiot

I tried to, even after the mishies pitched their garbahge & tried to confiscate my beer before I got sent to Vietnam.

Later I learned what LDS doctrine says about the Catholic Church, to which I still belong. Not nice. “Great & abominable Whore of Rome” or some such.

Only then did I begin exploring LDS teachings. What a Mormon has to do to earn his “temple recommend” card is a laugh riot to us “nevermo’s”.

Yes, how do otherwise intelligent people believe in that?


19 posted on 09/28/2014 5:22:28 PM PDT by elcid1970 ("In the modern world, Muslims are living fossils.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Spunky

Ping for later.


20 posted on 09/28/2014 5:29:21 PM PDT by Spunky
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-42 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
Religion
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson